Dear Editor,
The recent statements by Mr Clinton Collymore concerning homosexuality are so ridiculous and outlandish that I feel that as a candidate for the PPP/Civic in the last elections, I need to let the public realize that Mr Collymore does not speak for me.
The bottom line of Mr Collymore’s nonsense is rooted in attitudes to homosexuality which would put his ideas in the era of the 1930s. Furthermore, one can detect in his prehistoric attitude, a certain undercurrent of venom towards President Obama, an enlightened leader and visionary who recently announced his commitment to gay and lesbian rights.
I know that Mr Collymore is well versed in the theories of Marx and Lenin, but he should start to read the works of Mahatma Gandhi and he will learn to be tolerant, not only to homosexuality, but to the opposition views and demands as well. The Mahatma was against majoritarian rule and felt that if only 10% voted against the government of the day, then that government should look after the interests of that 10% before it looked after its own supporters – to avoid conflict.
Two ‘gay’ Englishmen came to Gandhi in the 1930s in India and asked him what he thought of their relationship. The Mahatma asked some questions and for a short time fell silent. Then the Mahatma said: “The greatest gift God gives us is another person to love.” Placing the hands of each man in the other’s, he quietly and with a gentle smile asked: “Who are we to question God’s choice?”
Mr Collymore, writing in the Mirror newspaper, is obviously repudiating Mr Ralph Ramkarran’s piece in the same paper before he resigned from the PPP, and Mr Collymore has the typical straitjacketed sentiment of hardline communists from the Soviet era. Mr Collymore should stop embarrassing President Ramotar, and the PPP should get a much more tolerant writer for the Mirror. Let Mr Collymore tell us, since he’s an avid defender of the collapsed Soviet system, how the communists in Russia dealt with homosexuality. I bet he never does because it was a tragic page in communism’s history and a disgrace to humankind.
Government is supposed to protect and defend the democratic and personal choices which any part of our population chooses, as long as they are not corrupt, or are thieves, robbers and murderers. Mr Collymore should concentrate, as Mr Ramkarran did, on the corruption in government circles and the general criminality in our society.
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr)
